The use of social media in today’s working environment is almost a necessity to stay on top of up to date trends, potential jobs and effective networking. LinkedIn, a social media engine utilized particularly for networking professionals, provides great benefits for its users and members. This hub is full of useful connections, which some have successfully used to gain employment. According to a CBSnews.com articles, here are five success stories of those who have turned LinkedIn connections into job opportunities:

Jacob Erlick

Pricing Analyst/Southwest Airlines/Dallas, Texas

Jacob had dreamed about working at Southwest Airlines for as long as he can remember. He applied and interviewed for internships and full-time jobs to no avail. But after each meeting, he connected with each Southwest employee and recruiter on LinkedIn. With a growing family to support, he eventually accepted a job at a B2B IT company. Then one day he noticed that Linkedin’s “People You May Know” module suggested he connect with a Southwest recruiter he was linked to through another connection. He sent the recruiter a connection request and she responded asking if he had time to chat about a job opening. On Aug. 27, 2012, Jacob joined Southwest.

Rachel Abady

Associate Video Programming Manager/AOL/New York, N.Y.

Rachel used LinkedIn to get hired as an AOL associate video programming manager while she was a senior at Barnard College. The twist: She used her dad’s profile — not her own — because she thought LinkedIn was only for “50-year-olds.” Using her dad’s profile, she visited his alma mater’s (Colgate University) LinkedIn Group. There she noticed a posting by a recruiter who worked at AOL and was looking for a business development intern. She InMailed the recruiter, who found her to be quite resourceful, and the rest is history.

Paul Nuyens

Business Development Manager/TST-Software/Ontario, Canada

Paul was laid off from his job as a software sales engineer at a major talent-management company in October 2011. With his experience and knowledge of the recruiting process, he thought he’d land a job in no time. But three months later, he was still jobless. In January, a friend at a staffing company offered him a job as a recruiter. He accepted, but was shocked four weeks later when his old employer asked him to recruit a candidate for his old job. While he had mixed feelings, he found a great candidate on LinkedIn. Then, unexpectedly, his employer canceled the job opening. In an odd twist, the candidate he’d found on LinkedIn informed him that her company was hiring. Her referral and several interviews later, he was hired and she received a referral bonus.

Nataly Kelly

VP of Marketing Development/Smartling/Boston, Mass.

Nataly was looking for someone to publish her book, “Found in Translation.” But she’d gotten nowhere after years of working with an agent. So, she decided to search her LinkedIn network for publishers, and then InMailed them a short description of her book and platform as an author. Marian Lizzi from Perigee (a Division of Penguin) replied and requested more details. Long story short, Marian agreed to publish Nataly’s book. She said, “I love finding book projects in unconventional ways. When I read your message, I could see that it was a serious request, not a frivolous one. I was impressed that you had taken the time to find me, and intrigued to hear more about the proposal.”

Nicolette Weinbaum

Marketing and Sales intern/Edulence/New York, N.Y.

Nicole wanted to land a summer internship in Manhattan. Her only problems: She was only a freshman and her parents didn’t “know somebody.” Undeterred, she decided to commit $200 of her hard-earned summer lifeguarding money to target 14,781 Villanova Alumni working in her fields of interest with a LinkedIn ad saying, “dynamic, motivated and dedicated Villanova student seeking internship.” Within four weeks, her ad had been seen more than 12,000 times (48.4 percent of the members who clicked on her ad were senior executives) and she was contacted by dozens of Villanova alumni from firms like Citigroup, Thomson Reuters, New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg and Pfizer. Ultimately, she accepted an internship with Edulence, whose CEO graduated from Villanova.

Rashida Maples, Esq. is Founder and Managing Partner of J. Maples & Associates (www.jmaplesandassociates.com). She has practiced Entertainment, Real Estate and Small Business Law for 9 years, handling both transactional and litigation matters. Her clients include R&B Artists Bilal and Olivia, NFL Superstar Ray Lewis, Fashion Powerhouse Harlem’s Fashion Row and Hirschfeld Properties, LLC.

15 Of The Most Powerful Women To Follow On Twitter

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1. 15 Powerful Women To Follow On Twitter

Social media has completely taken over our lives. I've always had a personal opposition against social media, often times claiming that it makes us even more unsocial. However, there is a lot of good in social media that one has to learn how to use for their advantage.
The best way to take advantage of social media is to cultivate who you follow. Make sure that who you follow is applicable to your life as well as entertaining. Check out this list of 15 powerful women to follow on Twitter.

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2. Erykah Badu

There's just something about Erykah that is beyond hypnotizing. Her tweets bring you into her world of being an artist and a doula. Yes, Erykah tweets about the babies she helps deliver.
@fatbellybella

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3. Gayle King

Besides being Oprah's best friend, Gayle King is known for being a CBS This Morning cohost and Editor-at-Large for O Magazine. Her take on the entertainment industry is often funny and exclusive!
@GayleKing

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4. Oprah

This woman needs no explaining. Just follow her.
@oprah

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5. Michelle Obama

Obviously, following the first lady is the first thing you should do on Twitter. Under her new account @FLOTUS, not every tweet is hers, but when you see it signed in "mo, you can guarantee that the first lady is reaching out to you directly.
@FLOTUS

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6. Christiane Amanpour

As one of the most iconic TV journalists, Christiane Amanpour is a powerful Twitter user. She offers breaking news on global conflicts, and provides unique insights and perspectives to political happenings and world events. You don't even need to follow CNN if you're following Christiane.
@camanpour

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7. Soledad O'Brien

@Soledad_OBrien

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8. Chelsea Clinton

It helps that Chelsea Clinton is the famed offspring of Bill & Hillary Clinton. But she is also a tireless advocate for a healthy and safe world. As an NBC News Special Correspondent and active member of the Clinton Foundation, Chelsea has immeasurable insight of the world to share.
@ChelseaClinton

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9. Caterina Fake

Caterina Fake tweets about the latest digital news, technology and her own personal views, passions and interests.
@Caterina

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10. Zainab Salbi

Zainab Salbi is the founder of Women for Women International and served as the organization's CEO from 1993 to 2011. If you want news, stats and opinions on humanitarian crises, follow her. Oh and you can learn how you can contribute in making the world a better place. Who doesn't love that?!
@ZainabSalbi

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11. Robin Roberts

This "Good Morning America" news anchor is nothing short of amazing. With her inspirational story as a foundation, follow her entertaining tweets as she hobknobs with celebs and shares inspiring anecdotes from other cancer survivors.
@RobinRoberts

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12. Mary Grove

Mary Grove is the Director of Google for Entrepreneurs. With a passion for building her community, Mary is constantly tweeting about what's next in technology and business.
@maryGrove

14. Gabby Douglas

We've watched her kick major Olympic gymnast butt, but following Gabby Douglas is nothing like following an obnoxious teen who has more gold medals than you. It's just like following your little sister. Check out Gabby's adorable tweets!
@gabrielledoug

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15. Donna Brazile

You've definitely seen her byline before. Donna Brazile is a political strategist, contributor to CNN and ABC News, educator, author and more. Follow her tweets for absolutely everything a woman of color could ever care about.
@donnabrazile

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16. Shonda Rhimes

Other than creating one of the biggest shows to his Black Twitter since...well...anything Tyler Perry put out, Shonda Rhimes is one to follow on Twitter and in life! Her tweets are often inspirational and "Scandal"-related.
@shondarhimes